melindasnextadventure

[melindasnextadventure]

Nearing the end of this journey.

Here I sit, watching the sun set at nearly 5:30pm in Rwanda. I just took an extremely cold shower and I'm so ready for dinner. I'm down to one Poptart remaining and a few gummy worms. This American is longing for American food and goodies. This is my second to last Friday in this beautiful country and it feels unreal that the end of this trip is near. The women and children I have met are family now. There's a strong bond between this white stranger and so many beautiful African people. I can only hold each of these people in my heart and know that they are forever tucked away as a treasure and dear person to me & Jesus. Counseling sessions end this coming week. I'm not sure what to think when it comes to saying "goodbye" to some of the familiar faces that visit the office each week. I know that it will be a difficult "see you later" because I do want to visit Rwanda again someday. We visited a woman this week who is HIV positive and took her family food. She has been extremely ill and was thankful that we brought food. She has been in and out of the hospital for a long time now. We prayed for her healing and for the futures of her children. To see tears of what seemed to be hopelessness turn to HOPE will brighten your day. While we were there, the call to prayer was being sounded from the Mosque next door. It was incredible to be in the middle of a Rwandan Muslim community! Hearing the call to prayer took me back to the trip my class took to Atlanta, Georgia earlier this spring to a Mosque and a Hindu Temple, along with spending a week in Houston, Texas working with refugees, immigrants, and victims of human trafficking. Being able to observe how others worship within their faith is an incredible experience. As a Christian, it is so easy to be caught up in "conversion" or sharing the Gospel with "guns blazing", as a dear friend puts it. But I believe that loving others, no matter their religion, political affiliation, ethnicity, race, gender... that's what being ambassadors for Christ is about. Yes, share the Gospel at all costs! But meet people where they are in life. Love others because they are human beings, not for the labels society places on them. LOVE builds bridges, no matter who you are! Next weekend, we will be traveling to Uganda with our adopted African family. It'll be good to spend our last weekend with them & saying our goodbyes. We will get to dance the night away at a traditional Rwandese/Ugandan family wedding! I'm ready to show Africa how poorly white people can dance ;) Things to be in prayer about: -Pray for the women and children that we will finish counseling with this week. -Pray for endurance to finish this journey strong, and for the glory of God. Also for the transition back into the USA and that we will readjust easily. -Pray for some financial needs to be met. I am still shy about $2,000 in funding. If you or someone you know would like to contribute towards the ministry here in Rwanda, please follow this link: https://bc.managedmissions.com/MyTrip/melindabaker2 -I am about to be a senior in college. Wow. Pray for a good year, because I'm a little nervous about the idea of grad school or a big girl job. -Also, pray that I get my pharmacy job back. I need this job to survive paying bills and living. I love this job and the people I get to work with and help daily. Thanks everyone! Love & peace.

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His Hands Hold the Universe

We have officially been in Rwanda for 6 weeks now! Wow! The time has flown by and we only have a few short weeks to go. I have been slacking in the blogging area, so here we go. 

This post is going to be more about what God has been doing through me and how it has impacted the women we have ministered to.

Isaiah 55:11, “My word that goes out from My mouth: It will not return to Me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.”

I want to say that what a mighty and awesome God we serve! He has been so evident here, and the Holy Spirit is moving. I believe that God is being glorified and His will is being done. 

In my life, I see where His mighty hand has been working and He has provided for the needs in my life. Through this, I can see the many blessings that He has given me. Here in Rwanda, I see poverty, trauma, despair, and people who have no food. I think about everything I have with me and even what I have left at home. Americans are materialistic creatures, and I believe this is ingrained in our culture. We seek the latest and greatest. We desire to look and be the people on TV. But it shouldn’t be like that... especially if your neighbor down the street has nothing to eat. 

I have visited women who haven’t eaten in days. This means that their children haven’t eaten, as well. You can see the malnourished bellies and skinny arms and legs. Peoples’ faces begin to thin from weeks without a balanced meal, or food at all. It is heartbreaking to see so many suffering, especially when I start thinking about American food like Zaxby’s or Olive Garden (two of my favorites). It puts a lot of things into perspective when you have so much and see others with so little. I have a desire to return to the States and for however long God keeps me there, to start managing my time and money better. To go through my things and donate the stuff that I no longer need. 

I am blessed, but am I humble?

That is a question I want to challenge you with.

So what does my impact in living in Rwanda, Africa for two months have on these malnourished women and children? I have the ability to bring them food! Imana ishimwe! (God be praised!) Every home we have visited, I have been able to bring 5 kilos (estimated 11 pounds) of rice and beans to these women! These families can eat on this for a long time, and though it is a small gift, it greatly appreciated and needed. Being the hands and feet of Jesus means bringing food to hungry, loving on the least of these. This is just a small token of how God has used us as a blessing to others.

James 1:27, “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

I think that God’s plan for me is greater than anything I could ever imagine. After all, I am 8,000 miles from home and feel as if home has come to me. I am glad to see just a glimpse at what He is calling me to with my life. 

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Bruno :) He never wants us to leave in the mornings. June 13, 2017

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"Ndagukunda" - I love you!

I have found that in the nearing three weeks that I have been in Kigali, Rwanda that the words “I love you” in the native language of Kinyarwanda, impact a person’s soul more than anything. I have had the opportunity to counsel women and children who are soul survivors in their families due to the impact of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Many of these people do not know how loved they are. The words “I love you” at the end of a counseling session have brought many smiles. Many tears. Many hugs :) One woman cried as she shared that she is the only survivor out of her 11 siblings and she also lost her parents. A little girl, aged 10, shared that the HIV/AIDS epidemic took the lives of her parents and 4 siblings. Many women were sexually assaulted during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Many children are now infected, as well. I also had the opportunity to visit the household of a woman who is paralyzed due to weak bones. She broke both of her knees several years ago and they never healed correctly. She is HIV positive and the disease has left her disabled and unable to work and provide for her children. The day we visited, she had no food to feed herself or her family. We were able to bless her with enough rice, beans, and sugar to bring many meals to her table. Stories like this, stories of pain and despair, stories of heartache and grief… have hit my heart really hard. They cannot be unheard and they cannot be untold. My eyes were opened to see what being the hands and feet of Jesus really means. Why would we go to the home of someone who has nothing, no food to eat, and say a prayer… praying that God would send her family food… when I am capable and abundantly blessed to provide food for her and her family. Jesus is alive in His people. We are to be proactive, and sharing the love of Jesus isn’t just a spiritual and emotional moment; it’s also a physical, hands-on invitation to love others. Many of the people I have worked with are opening up about what happened to them and their families for the very FIRST time since the genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. 23 years of pain trapped inside with no healing. Many are still questioning, “Where was God in all of this?” However, many have forgiven those who harmed their families. Many have turned to God for support and to heal their wounds. Though they have repressed their stories, and haven’t shared the trauma they have experienced, there is spiritual healing in the Rwandan land. There is a deeper love and trust in God than in the United States. Though the 1994 genocide was targeted towards the Tutsi, not all of the people I have met and counseled are Tutsi. I have had the opportunity to meet with Hutu women and children, as well. Though I don’t specifically know which tribe these people come from when counseling them, I know that they each have a story. Their stories matter to me, and they matter to God. The Hutu women and children were abandoned by the fathers in the family. Many of the fathers were the killers, resulting in their death or now imprisonment. I met one young woman who was age 1 or 2 at the time of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. She shared with me that she wishes she could change history. She expressed much sympathy for the victims and their families. She was broken hearted. Though the 1994 genocide was against the Tutsi, as a Hutu, she has grown up with the knowledge that her father is a killer, a murderer. He is in prison for life because of this. She has never known her father to be a loving protecter. She shared that is hard knowing that anyone in her family would be capable of hurting or killing another person. She now tries to reach out to her friends and make herself available to help and is working this year to save money to attend University next year. Though there have been many stories of despair, several people share that they have forgiven those who have hurt their families. They desire to see the future of Rwanda to flourish. Both Tutsi and Hutu are uniting to see a brighter future and keep their country alive and well. My heart is being radically transformed through the encounters with these sweet Rwandan people. May God bless you, my dear friends and family in the USA. “Ndagukunda” - I love you! June 12, 2017

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Faces like these make life better. They make living 8,000 miles away from home worth it. They show me the love of the Father through their gentleness and eagerness to learn and grow. The smallest blessings come from seeing people for who they are. These children saw me as a person & I saw them as future doctors and teachers. Sometimes, picking up your cross to follow Jesus means leaving home and comfort. This just means that God will go with you, to bring you home and comfort somewhere different. We have hope for the future because we know that God is always with us. These are the faces of HOPE.

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Matthew 19:14, "But Jesus said, "Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children." June 6, 2017

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“Imana yirirwa ahandi igataha mu Rwanda.” “God spends the day elsewhere, but sleeps in Rwanda.” May 31, 2017

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Rwandan flowers are so beautiful and vibrant. I'm in love!!!

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Definitely not a cat, but still cute & cuddly! He’s the baby in his family, and they take care of our yard :) May 30, 2017

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Rwanda is so beautiful & green with fresh produce and trees. This is to limit pollution and… make the environment great again. The Rwandan president has mandated that all of Rwanda comes together every last Saturday of the month for a community work time. This is a time to help our neighbors, plant trees, and lend a helping hand wherever needed. It’s beautiful and soooooo green here! May 27, 2017